On 05/22/15 12:27, David Lamparter wrote:
> My uninformed opinion is that incorporating function names and #include
> statements does not make something a derivative work.

... and then linking to it?  That's central to the matter, and makes it
very much different than the Oracle/Google problem.  It's not just
copying an API.

If it were true, though, that creating build, link, and run-time
dependencies on a GPL library doesn't automatically trip over clause 2,
then that would be simply wonderful for those making non-GPL software.
It would also, interestingly, mean that there's no reason at all to have
an LGPL, because the lesser license doesn't permit anything extra; they
wrote the "work that uses the Library" clause for no reason.

You're (of course) right that unmodified files can't be touched, but
Paul's right that touching them generally requires some kind of license
for his work unless the changes are "trivial."

> P.S.:  I find it rather amusing that Paul keeps citing his historical
> advice from lawyers at Sun.  If it doesn't hold up in court, I'd say
> that wasn't "advice" as much as wishful thinking, on Sun/Oracle's end.

Sun's lawyers were (like all lawyers) conservative in their advice.  My
experience with Sun's lawyers was that the answer to nearly all "can I
..." questions was simply "no."  You had to dive into risk/benefit to
get more details.  :-/

-- 
James Carlson         42.703N 71.076W         <[email protected]>

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